


The Break

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-03
Updated: 2012-11-03
Packaged: 2019-05-30 18:13:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15102227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Everyone takes a weekend 'off', but will it be restful?





	The Break

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

EPISODE 8.9 - Written by Mdrgrl1

THE BREAK

TEASER

INT. ROOSEVELT ROOM – FRIDAY NIGHT

Numbers.

Bram had never liked numbers. He'd had just as much trouble concentrating in algebra class as he was having listening to Joey Lucas/Kenny talk about the President's first 100 days. Why, he wondered, couldn't they just give President Santos a letter grade? It sounded like he earned an A anyway.

He fidgeted in his seat and tapped his pen against a legal pad until Lester gave him the evil eye. This had been going on for nearly an hour. Bram sat still for a few minutes, while Lester buried his head in the Gallup report. Sam was too busy taking notes and talking with Joey to pay any attention to Bram's behavior, so it was left up to Lester to at least try to keep the assistant deputy still.

A young woman, presumably an intern, walked into the Roosevelt Room and handed Joey a thick stack of papers and a disk.

Joey began signing to Kenny. "This is my homework for the weekend. I should have a comprehensive polling report to you by Tuesday evening."

Sam adjusted his glasses. "I'd like you to start with the lowest polling numbers first, then work your way up."

"That's not how I normally do it," Kenny replied, translating for Joey. "But I guess I could switch things up a bit."

"How soon can you get that section to me?" Sam asked.

Joey shrugged. "Sunday night?"

"Ok." He closed his binder and stood. "Thank you both for coming out this week."

"No problem," Joey said by way of Kenny. "It felt like old times."

Sam smiled. "I'm going to report to Josh. Lester, Bram, we're done."

Bram stood. "You mean for the day?"

"Yes. We're done for the day." Sam opened the door to exit. "Have a good weekend."

Joey and Kenny followed him out. As soon as the three were out of sight, Bram high-fived Lester. "Let the fun begin!"

CUT TO:

INT. COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR'S OFFICE

Lou sat in her office with the door closed and a scowl on her face. She was trying to punch up a few talking points for the President's brunch on Saturday, but playing up the strengths of the energy bill was just about the last thing she wanted to focus on Friday evening. 

A knock on the door startled her. "Come in."

"Your door was closed."

"I know," Lou responded. "I closed it. I can't seem to get any work done with all the commotion going on out there."

Otto stood next to the sofa without saying a word.

Lou looked up. "Can I help you with something?"

"Right." He stepped in front of his boss' desk. "Here's the speech for the NAACP Convention."

"Isn't that a week from now?" She grabbed the folder.

"Yeah," he responded. "I'm also working on the thing for the National Boy Scout Jamboree."

"What about the Social Security for Future Generations remarks? Or the health care speech he's giving on Wednesday?" Lou asked.

"I'll get to that on Monday."

Lou leaned forward. "You're spending too much time working on things that, in the grand scheme of things, don't really matter."

"I have a system," Otto began. "During the week, I work on the heavy stuff. On Fridays, I concentrate on the fun things."

"I give that system two more weeks before you start wishing you'd have focused on the big stuff all the time," Lou remarked. "Give the Webelos speech to someone else. You have bigger fish to fry."

"Actually, Webelos aren't Boy Scouts –"

Lou held her hand up, effectively silencing her young deputy. "You can educate me about the stages of scouting some other time. Or never would also be fine."

"Ok." He stepped toward the door, wondering if it would seem out of place for him to vocalize his next question. "Do you have plans for the weekend?"

"I've got a date with Jim Beam and Jack Daniels tonight," Lou replied. "It'll be me, some whiskey, and my laptop."

Otto wished that Lou was the type of person who would ask what his plans were, but she was already clicking away on her computer and seemingly paying no mind to him.

"Bram is taking me out tonight," he said anyway.

Lou looked up. "That has disaster written all over it."

"Not really," Otto replied. "Lester's coming along."

She raised one hand. "I'm not posting bail."

"We won't get arrested." Otto laughed nervously. "You don't really think we'll get arrested, do you?"

"You better not. I don't have time to hire a new Press Secretary and speech writer." She turned back to her computer. "Now can I please get some work done?"

"Have a good weekend." Otto walked out, shutting the door behind him.

CUT TO:

INT. COMMUNICATIONS BULLPEN

"There you are!" Bram greeted Otto as soon as he stepped out of Lou's office. "We've been looking for you."

"You have?" Otto raised his eyebrows.

"Not really," Lester said with his head buried in another polling report.

Bram threw an arm around Otto's shoulders. "Are you ready for your big night on the town?"

Otto looked nervous. "Where exactly are you taking me?"

"To a rooftop pool party." Bram continued walking down the corridor with Otto pressed to his side. "There'll be girls in bikinis and a tequila bar!"

"Tequila sounds good." Otto swallowed hard.

Lester looked up from the report. "And the girls don't?"

"No. I mean yes," he stuttered. "The girls sound good, too."

When they reached the Operations bullpen, Bram released his hold on Otto. "I'm leaving in ten minutes. Let's meet at my place in about an hour."

Lester kept walking. "Later."

"I'm just going to wrap up some things here," Otto hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "And then I'll be on my way."

"Sounds good." Bram patted him on his back. "Don't forget your trunks!"

Otto began walking down the hallway. "I don't know if I own trunks," he said under his breath.

CUT TO:

INT. OVAL OFFICE

The President flipped through the New York Times, scanning the graphs and charts on page three. It was the first time all day he'd had the opportunity to look at these particular polling numbers.

"The Times has us at 55%?" Santos asked.

"They're the lowest so far, sir." Josh stood in front of his desk, scribbling notes on a legal pad.

"Who had the highest?"

"Gallup," Josh responded. "Fifty-eight percent."

Santos regarded his Chief of Staff. "That's damn good."

"Yes, sir. It is." Josh lowered the notepad. "Joey Lucas just met with Sam, Lester, and Bram. She should have the internal polling data for us early next week."

"Sounds good," the President said, folding the newspaper. "These numbers are cause for celebration this weekend."

"They really are," Josh replied with a slight nod. "But I'll be working."

"I thought you were going to Senator McBain's clambake?"

"I am, but I'll be drumming up support for the energy bill and talking to the Party's elite about what we can do to better serve them." Josh grinned. "Should be fun."

"I figured you'd make a weekend out of it," Santos replied. "You know: you, Donna, and a cabin on the Bay..."

"We are, sir." He smirked. "Donna's got her own agenda for the clambake."

"I'm sure she does."

Josh looked at his watch. "Speaking of Donna, I promised her we'd leave no later than six."

"Well, then. I wouldn't want to keep her waiting." Santos smiled. "It's only the country we're trying to run."

He grinned. "Are you ready for brunch with Senator Rudolph tomorrow?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Santos replied. "I don't know how my wife interpreted brunch for barbeque."

He shrugged. "Sometimes women have their minds made up before you can even get a word in."

"Tell me about it." The President stacked a pile of papers on his desk. "But I do have a game plan. The Republican Senator and I will eat like civilized men, then rough each other up a bit with the pigskin while discussing the energy bill."

"Good luck with that." Josh smirked.

"He played Division III ball at Rhodes College," the President said. "That doesn't come close to my football experience at Annapolis."

"Yes, sir."

Ronna peeked her head in. "Excuse me, sir. Lou's here."

"Send her in." Santos looked at the clock on his desk. "One quick meeting with Lou, then I'm out of here."

"Thank you, Mr. President." Josh walked to the door connecting to his office. "Enjoy brunch."

"Oh, I will." Santos chuckled.

CUT TO:

INT. FIRST LADY'S CHIEF OF STAFF'S OFFICE

Annabeth and Donna were wrapping up their discussion of the Hewlett-Packard computer donation program when Mrs. Santos entered the office. 

Both women stood. "Good afternoon, ma'am."

"Sorry I'm late." The First Lady let out a long sigh. "We're having our first sleepover in the Residence tonight, and I'm trying to put the final touches on brunch tomorrow."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Donna asked.

"Thanks for offering, but I don't think it'll be necessary." Helen took a seat. "I finally see the payoff in having 50 people working for me."

Annabeth and Donna smiled.

"We were just reviewing the HP computer donation program," Annabeth said.

"Right." Helen took a sip of water. "Hewlett-Packard will donate a computer for every one a business purchases for an inner city school."

Donna nodded. "They've only committed to Southern states for now; but if the program catches on, we think HP will broaden their scope after a year."

"Let's hope so." The First Lady smiled. "What else?"

"Donna's off to the McBain clambake on Chesapeake Bay this weekend," Annabeth said.

"Oh, that's right." Helen crossed her legs.

"I'm hoping to drum up support for 'A Lasting America,'" Donna replied.

"Yes, the preservation program," Helen noted. "I think that's an excellent idea."

"I've researched the guest list, and it appears that there will be a number of people at the clambake who should be able to lend financial support," Donna stated.

"She'll also touch upon children volunteerism with several of the guests, including the Secretary of Education," Annabeth added. 

"It doesn't sound like you'll have much time to enjoy yourself," the First Lady commented.

"Josh booked a room at an inn for the weekend, so I don't think it'll be all work, all the time."

Helen raised her eyebrows. "You let Josh handle the hotel reservations?"

Donna grimaced.

"What's wrong? Do you think he'll screw it up?" Annabeth asked.

"No," Donna replied. She picked at a piece of lint on her skirt. "It's just that...well...I invited Sam and Lauren to join us, and I haven't informed Josh yet."

Mrs. Santos and Annabeth looked at her like she was nuts.

"You get to spend a weekend on Chesapeake Bay with the man you love, and you invited another couple?" the First Lady asked.

"Lauren called earlier today and sounded lonely," Donna replied. "She told me how she and Sam used go sailing on weekends, and they haven't gotten away since the move. Before I knew it, I'd invited them to join us."

"I can't wait for the stories." Helen laughed. "Is there anything else we need to discuss before I turn into Den Mother?"

"That's all I have," Annabeth said with a smile. "I'll see you at brunch tomorrow morning."

"Nothing else from me, ma'am." Donna stood. "Have a great weekend, and good luck with the sleepover and brunch."

Annabeth and the First Lady exited. Donna quickly shoved a few files into her briefcase, then hoisted it over her shoulder.

It might not be such a romantic weekend after all.

CUT TO:

INT. CHIEF OF STAFF'S OFFICE

As soon as Josh returned to his office, he made a quick call to the Mirror Point Inn to confirm their reservations for the weekend. He was happy to learn that the cottage he'd requested was available.

Sam knocked on the door, then walked in as Josh hung up the phone and pumped his fist in the air.

"You look mighty chipper," Sam commented.

"I just found out that the cottage I wanted is available."

"Great," Sam said with mock enthusiasm.

Josh ignored Sam's lackluster response. "How'd the meeting with Joey go?"

"Fine," Sam replied. "I asked for the report on the lowest numbers first. I hope you don't mind."

"Why would you want that?"

"Aren't you concerned about where we're missing the mark?"

Josh let out an incredulous chuckle. "We're polling at 57%, Sam. I'm not going to dwell on negative factors today."

Sam creased his brow. "You're not at all disappointed in the numbers?"

"I wish we had a 100% approval rating, but I'm satisfied with anything over 54%, which is what we had after President Bartlet's first 100." Josh powered down his computer. "Besides, I'm looking forward to rubbing elbows with the Party's elite and watching Donna whip some congressmen into shape this weekend. It'll be like a political orgasm."

Sam blanched. "Whatever you say."

Both men turned around when they heard a light tap on the door.

"Can I come in?"

Josh smiled.

"I was just leaving," Sam announced as he scooted past her. "You two have fun this weekend."

"Thanks."

"I've already turned off my computer," Josh said as Donna shut the door, leaving only a tiny crack.

"I can see that." She sauntered toward him.

"You ready for the weekend?" He tossed his notepad into his backpack.

"I am." Donna ran her hand up Josh's arm.

He smirked. "Apparently so."

She kissed a trail up his neck and across his jaw.

"What the hell is going on here?" Josh dropped his backpack on the desk so he could focus his hands and attention on Donna.

"I just got off the phone with Lauren. She sounded as depressed as Sam looked." She kissed him on the lips.

"All I know is that in two hours, we're going to be alone at an inn on the Bay." He ran a hand down the back of her head.

"Josh?"

"Yeah?"

"I was just thinking." Donna swirled her tongue in his mouth, then worked her way to his ear. "What would you think of inviting Sam and Lauren to join us for the weekend?"

He pulled back. "Donna!"

"They're dying to get out of DC, but neither of them is making a move to do it," she said. "Let's make it easy for them."

He shook his head vigorously. "No way."

She ran her hands through Josh's hair and kissed him again. "I'll do that thing I did in Hawaii."

"Mmm. That was nice."

"Pretty please?" She pulled his earlobe between her lips.

He moaned. "The place *does* have two bedrooms."

"I'll even add a little twist," Donna said as her hands moved lower and lower down Josh's back. She whispered exactly what she had in mind.

Josh gulped and his knees nearly gave out. "SAM!"

SMASH CUT TO MAIN TITLES

ACT 1

INT. CAR – ROUTE 33, MARYLAND

Despite trying his hardest, Josh was unable to shake his Secret Service detail for the weekend. He begged and pleaded with Ron Butterfield, but the only thing he allowed was for Josh to use his own car. Ron had sent a team of agents to the Mirror Point Inn early on Friday to ensure its safety. Although he didn't have to travel in the same vehicle as the agents, Josh would be accompanied by one to all public places, including the clambake.

As they pulled on to Route 33, Donna became more and more anxious about their accommodations for the weekend. "Are you going to keep me in suspense until we get there?"

"No." Josh grinned. He dug in his back pocket and pulled out a glossy brochure. "This is where we're staying."

Donna took the leaflet from him and read the front cover. "The Mirror Point Inn – 100 acres of breathtaking grandeur on Chesapeake Bay." She quickly opened the brochure and stared at the pictures. "Oh, my goodness." 

He glanced at her. "Is that good?"

"It's..." Donna looked up at Josh. "THIS is where we're staying?"

He nodded.

"Josh, it's beautiful!"

He breathed a sigh of relief. "It damn well better be for the amount I'm spending."

"It'll be worth every penny." She smiled, then began reading. "Enjoy the serenity of the Eastern Shore and the splendor of the Bay at our delightful bed and breakfast. With its sweeping views of Chesapeake Bay and its beautiful sunrises and sunsets, Mirror Point Inn offers a memorable stay in an historic setting of fields and woodlands."

"I don't know how much exploring I'll want to do of the fields and woodlands," Josh commented.

She grabbed his right hand off the steering wheel and laced their fingers together.

"For the history buff...that's me." She continued reading. "There are the quaint, historic villages of St. Michaels, Easton, Tilghman Island, and Wye Mills, as well as many notable buildings and museums to explore. Whether you prefer to eat at one of our two elegant restaurants or enjoy steamed crabs at water's edge, you'll enjoy the peace and quiet of our 80-year-old property."

"Read the part about the animals," Josh requested.

"Meet our Jack Russell terriers and see our chickens, cows and goats quietly grazing." She absentmindedly rubbed his knuckles with her thumb. "That's the part you wanted me to read?"

"Yeah," he responded. "They have livestock."

"Josh, I'd hardly call a couple of chickens and some cows 'livestock.'"

"It sounds like a veritable farm!" He squeezed her hand. "I thought it might be reminiscent of your younger days in Madison."

"So you're admitting that I am indeed a farm girl from Wisconsin?"

"Only if you show me how to milk a cow."

CUT TO:

INT. CAR – ROUTE 50

Sam felt guilty for taking Josh and Donna up on their offer but not guilty enough to turn them down. He and Lauren packed in record time, and made it on the road only 30 minutes behind the other couple.

Sam had high hopes for the weekend – rest and relaxation topped with pleasant conversation with friends. Lauren had one objective: getting the hell out of DC with her man.

A ringing cell phone broke through the silence.

Sam looked at the caller ID. "I have to get this. I'm sorry....Hello?"

Joey Lucas was calling for the second time to clarify exactly what Sam was hunting for in the polling numbers.

Although the phone conversation was short, Lauren shook her head. It was already the fourth work-related call Sam had received since they got on the road an hour ago.

"Can we have one moment in our lives when you're not working?" There as no hint of bitterness in Lauren's voice, but Sam felt her frustration.

"Yes. Yes, we can." He put his hand on his fiancée's leg. "That should be the last call from Joey. We straightened everything out."

She put her hand on top of his. "I'm glad."

CUT TO:

MIRROR POINT INN

"Wow."

The inn was exactly how she'd imagined it – perfectly situated on a broad field overlooking the Bay. There was a long wooden deck straight ahead with a couple of boats docked to the sides. The sun was just about to set over the Bay, making the water glisten and look terribly inviting.

"This is amazing."

Josh parked the car and turned off the ignition. "It is."

They checked in with near celebrity status. While they weren't keen on the play their relationship got in the media, there were certain perks associated with being recognized.

"Did she say the Magnolia Cottage?" Josh asked as he walked next to Donna along a rocky path.

"Yes."

"Here it is."

They stopped in front of a beautiful clapboard cottage surrounded by magnolia trees. The entrance was about 30 feet from the Bay.

"This is ours?"

Josh nodded and stuck the key in the door. He pushed it open and allowed Donna to enter first.

She stepped into the center of the living room, admiring the setting. "Unreal."

"Not bad," Josh said, closing the door.

"Not bad?" Donna turned on a lamp, then walked into the enormous kitchen. "Look at this place!"

He put his hands on his hips. "I did good."

She skidded from one room to the next, more amazed with every thing she uncovered. "Did you see the size of this bathroom?"

Josh grinned as he followed Donna into each room. He didn't care much about the amenities, but he cared a great deal about what Donna thought.

They made it back to the living room as she admired the fireplace.

"So I take it you're satisfied?"

"Extremely satisfied." She wrapped her arms around his neck.

Josh took that opportunity to kiss her properly since he hadn't been able to do so in the car. His hands settled on her waist, lifting her shirt just enough to touch bare skin.

"You doubted my planning abilities?" he asked.

She giggled against his lips.

By the time they made it to the sofa, Josh's hand was up the back of her shirt, and Donna was pressed against his chest. She was practically climbing onto his lap when they heard a key in the door. Sam and Lauren stopped dead in their tracks.

"I see you've wasted no time christening the couch," Sam said with a smile.

Josh smirked. Donna looked mortified.

CUT TO:

EXT. ROOFTOP POOL, THE HEIGHTS CONDO COMPLEX, ADAMS MORGAN

During Bram's sophomore year of college, he'd shared a house with six guys. He refused to join a fraternity, and this was as close as he got to brotherhood. One of those guys was Trey van Housen, a rich New Yorker with a penchant for rainbows. Trey came out the following year, his homosexuality surprising no one, including Bram.

"The place is crawling, and it's not even 9 o'clock," Lester commented.

Bram smiled. "Sure is."

"We started at six," someone on their right said. "I was here before Trey even got home!"

"Let's find a place to sit," Otto said.

As they walked along the edge of the pool, Otto couldn't get over the number of women in bikinis and the buff men accompanying them. He didn't think he was going to take off his shirt.

"Told you there'd be a tequila bar," Bram commented as they approached a long wooden table. "We'll have three shots and three Coronas."

Lester bopped a little to the reggae music. He hadn't been to a pool party since he was a child, partially because he couldn't swim. But that didn't stop him from enjoying the scenery tonight.

"Here's to good times!" Bram clinked his shot glass with Lester's and Otto's, then threw the gold liquid into his mouth.

Otto winced as the tequila went down, then sucked a large slice of lime. "I haven't done shots of tequila since college."

Bram patted him on the back. "That was like two years ago, right?"

"You're three years older than me!" Otto shot back.

"Stop bickering, children," Lester said. "Or I'll send you to your rooms."

They all chuckled as they found an empty table not far from the bar.

"So," Bram began. "Fifty-seven percent is good?"

"You're back to the polling numbers?" Otto asked.

Lester checked to see if there were any signs of joking on Bram's face. "Didn't you hear a word Joey said today?"

"Technically, Kenny was doing the talking."

Lester shook his head. "Yes, 57% is good."

"It wasn't good in school," Bram reasoned. "If you got a 57 on an exam, that was an F."

"I never got an F," Otto replied.

"You've never gotten an F in your life?"

"Nope."

"I went to tough schools," Bram remarked, taking a long sip of his Corona. "They graded hard."

"This isn't school," Otto replied.

"Yet I'm learning so much."

"Really? Because the way I see it, Bram, you get an F in listening." Lester chuckled.

A woman in a purple string bikini approached Bram, asking if he wanted to go for a dip in the pool. Surprising both Otto and Lester, he turned her down. 

"I have to be a lot looser than this to jump into that cold water," he explained.

"Speaking of getting loose, I wonder if Lou's already drunk."

They looked at Otto like he was crazy.

"Lou?"

Otto nodded. "She was spending the night at home working and drinking whiskey."

"You need to get over your Lou crush, man." Lester shook his head.

"I don't have a crush on her." Otto blushed. "She's my boss."

"That didn't stop you when we were campaigning," Lester responded.

"Did I miss something?" Bram asked.

Lester raised his eyebrows. "You really don't know?"

"Know what?"

"About the hook-ups on the campaign trail."

"This is the first I've heard of it." Bram appeared extremely interested.

"I'd sound like a gossip-spreading, 16-year-old girl." Lester took a long swig of beer. "Otto, you tell him."

Otto stopped peeling the label off of his bottle and looked up, unsure if he should be offended by Lester's comment. Nevertheless, he proceeded. "There were a number of staffers who got together while we were on the road." He lowered his voice. "Lou and I..." 

Bram slammed his hand against the table. "No way!"

Lester laughed.

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you," Otto said, glaring at Lester. "You and Edie were hot and heavy for like a month."

"She was fine," Lester commented.

"What ever happened to Edie?" Bram took a sip of beer. "I liked her." 

"She's at the DNC."

"Ah." Bram nodded. "Who else?"

"Let's see...Ronna and Cindy," Otto replied in a low voice.

"I knew about that one."

"Josh and Donna," Lester said.

Bram raised his eyebrows. "Is that when they first...?"

Otto nodded. "We think so. Ronna and Edie caught them in Josh's room one day."

"And when he says 'day,' he means 'mid-day.'" Lester grinned.

"Afternoon delight?" Bram smiled.

"Nothing wrong with that!" Lester downed the rest of his beer, then stood. He picked up Otto's bottle to feel how much was left. "You need to drink up. I'm getting three more."

CUT TO:

INT. MIRROR POINT INN, MAGNOLIA COTTAGE

After Donna was thoroughly embarrassed by being busted with her boyfriend's hand up her shirt, she vowed to be more careful of public displays of affection. Josh, on the other hand, spent the next half hour strutting.

The two couples sat outside on a deck overlooking the Bay. They ignored the Secret Service agent who stood close to the door. Over the past six months Josh and Donna had become a little more comfortable with the lurking agents.

"You guys want steamed crabs for dinner?" Josh asked.

"That sounds good," Donna replied.

"Sam?" Josh stood. "Let's go to the seafood place down the street."

"Ok." He stood and walked toward the cottage.

"Anybody need another beer while I'm up?" Josh asked.

"I could use one," Lauren said.

"Me, too." Donna smiled.

Josh went inside to find Sam punching away on his Blackberry.

"Working?"

He was glad it was Josh who found him and not his fiancée. "Just sending a quick text message to Joey. I have a feeling she's not going to have to dig very far to find where we polled the lowest."

"Let her do her job, Sam." Josh pulled two Heinekens out of the refrigerator. "And bring these to our women while I get my wallet."

Sam hooked his Blackberry onto his belt loop before taking the beers from Josh. He walked outside, then handed one to Donna and Lauren.

"I'm hungry. Don't take too long," Donna said.

"We'll be back before you know it."

CUT TO:

EXT. ROOFTOP POOL, THE HEIGHTS CONDO COMPLEX, ADAMS MORGAN

Otto was having trouble keeping up with his companions, but he never refused a beer.

"Which one of these guys is your friend?" Lester asked.

Bram pointed his bottle toward the guy at the bar with the heavily gelled hair. He resembled Kyan on Queer Eye. He was rubbing his hand down another man's back.

"Whoa," Lester commented.

"Yeah," Bram said. "He's gay. Works for the Human Rights Campaign."

"I never pegged you as the type to have gay friends." Otto took a swig of his fourth beer.

"He's a Democrat, Otto. Of course he has gay friends."

Bram and Otto laughed.

"I've known Trey for ten years. He's a good guy, but he can't talk about much other than gay rights." Bram threw his bottle into the trash can. "I mean, I'm all for equal rights and stuff, but he tends to take things to the extreme."

"Sometimes it's hard to find a balance," Otto replied.

"Trust me, this guy's over the top."

Just then, Trey walked up to the trio. "Bram, glad you could make it."

Bram shook his hand. "Thanks for the invitation. Great party."

"Who are your friends?"

Bram introduced Otto, but no introduction was necessary for Lester.

"You're the press secretary," Trey said with a little shock in his voice.

Lester smiled. "Not tonight, I'm not."

"Tell me," Trey began, ignoring Lester's last line. "Is there any truth to the rumors that the President's executive secretary is gay?"

Otto's eyes went wide. Bram lowered his head.

"We don't comment on the personal lives of White House staffers," Lester responded even-keeled.

"But you're ok publicizing the hell out of a heterosexual relationship?" Trey huffed. "Josh Lyman and Donna Moss were all over the media a few months ago."

"That was a completely different situation," Bram chimed in.

"No one in the administration, especially Josh and Donna, wanted their relationship publicized," Lester replied. "The media found them, man."

"Imagine if they found another couple as well." Trey tilted his head. "A homosexual couple."

"You better leave her out of this." Bram stood. His fist was balled up, and his jaw was set.

He and Ronna had worked together for two years and had become quick friends. She'd confided in him about her sexuality nearly a year ago. Since that time, Bram had become quite protective of Ronna's privacy.

"We're out of here." Lester stood between the two men before Bram could react. "Let's go."

Otto's heart rate tripled. He slid behind Lester and followed the two men downstairs. "What in God's name just happened back there?" 

"Looks like we're in for some trouble." Lester put his arm around Bram, who was having difficulty walking down the steps. "We'll talk about this when we're sober. Until then, both of you: keep your mouths shut."

CUT TO:

EXT. MIRROR POINT INN

Donna and Lauren sat on the edge of the dock that jutted out over Chesapeake Bay, dangling their feet in the water.

"Thanks for inviting us, Donna."

"You're welcome. I'm glad this worked out."

The women were quiet for a few minutes, listening to the crickets chirp and the occasional fish splash.

"I don't know what happened to the romance, you know?" Lauren interrupted the silence. "Sam used to whisk me away to Santa Barbara or Palm Springs. Sometimes we'd just spend the weekend on our sailboat."

"Sounds nice." Donna stirred her foot in the water.

"He proposed almost a year ago," Lauren continued. "We'd sailed to Pismo Beach the first weekend in August. The sun was setting, and I remember thinking there was nowhere else I'd rather be. The next thing I knew, he was on one knee."

Donna grinned. "Sam never told me how he proposed."

"He had the ring and everything." Lauren smiled at the memory. "Those were the days."

"It sounds romantic," Donna said.

"It was. HE was." She sighed. "Now I can't get him to talk about our personal lives, much less set a wedding date."

Donna looked at her. "I'm sure he's just trying to readjust to life out here."

"We've been here for almost seven months. How much more time does he need?"

Donna lowered her head. While she was happy to listen to Lauren's nostalgic tales, she didn't know how much she wanted to hear about their relationship troubles. After all, she was still closer to Sam than she was to Lauren. However, she got the strong sense that Lauren didn't have anyone else to talk to. She certainly hadn't established a support system yet in DC. The people she worked with were either much older or much younger than her. That left Donna as her sole female confident in Washington.

"I know better than anyone how much time and energy goes into being Deputy Chief of Staff," Donna replied. "I'm sure once things settle down and Congress recesses in August, he'll have more time to devote to you."

Lauren turned to her companion. "You really think so?" 

"I do."

"Does Josh ever talk about this stuff with you?"

"What stuff?" She creased her brow.

Lauren shrugged. "You know, Sam, me, our engagement..."

Donna almost laughed. "No. Josh is a fairly private person, especially when it comes to relationships."

"I wonder if Sam talks to him about us?"

"I wouldn't know." She shrugged.

"Maybe you could..." Lauren trailed off. "I don't know. I was thinking maybe you could ask Josh if Sam has talked to him about setting a date."

Donna didn't feel comfortable asking Josh this, but if the subject ever came up at the right time, she figured it wouldn't hurt. "I can try."

Lauren covered her hand and squeezed. "Thank you."

CUT TO:

EXT. MIRROR POINT ROAD

Sam had convinced Josh to walk to the seafood market, which was less than a mile down the road. In return, he agreed to pick up the tab for the crabs.

"You're all set for the clambake?"

Josh kicked a rock and watched it skip into a puddle. "Yeah. I'll go over my notes again tomorrow, but I'm ready."

"I talked to Maury Hulsman this morning," he said.

"The CEO of Glaxo Pharmaceuticals?"

Sam nodded. "He'll be at the clambake, pushing routine HIV testing for everyone between 13 and 64."

"I'm not sweating Hulsman." Josh swatted a mosquito.

"I know McBain's on board with the energy bill," Sam said. "And you shouldn't have much trouble convincing Sawyer and O'Toole. It's Chapman I'm worried about."

"Me too. He's like a Republican trapped in Democratic clothing." Josh walked around a puddle. "Chapman's family owns a farm outside of Chicago, so I'm going to try selling him on the emission credits in the bill."

"Sounds like a good strategy," Sam said. "If you can get Chapman on board, he'll get Naughton and Goldstein."

"That's what I'm hoping." Josh swatted at another bug. "Sam, are there mosquitoes out here?"

"Not that I noticed." He redirected the conversation back to work. "We're still lobbying the National Association for Environmental Protection pretty hard."

"Good. Let's keep the pressure on," Josh replied, looking for more insects and picking up the pace. "In the meantime, we have the full support of at least five other environmental groups."

"I just hope that's enough."

"I've got 60 pages of notes on this bill," Josh said. "Twenty-four are dedicated to environmental issues. We're going to get this thing passed if I have anything to say about it."

"I hope you're right," Sam replied.

They finally reached the seafood market, and Josh couldn't get inside and away from the bugs fast enough. An agent was already stationed at the door.

"I'm riding back with Rodney," Josh announced, scratching his arm. "I've had about all I can take of nature."

"We just got here." Sam chuckled.

"Doesn't mean I have to walk everywhere like I'm in an episode of Little House on the Prairie."

"They rode in carriages most of the time," Sam said. He took his place in line behind an elderly couple. He looked around the room before changing the subject completely. "So...how are things with you and Donna?" 

Josh's head snapped up. He still got nervous when anyone, including his closest friend, asked about his personal life. "Fine. Why?"

"Just wondering."

"We're good." Josh smirked. "Better than good, actually."

The truth was, Josh was terribly happy. He couldn't remember a time when he was this content, and a large part of it was because of Donna. 

"I'm glad."

Josh was pretty sure where this was headed. The polite thing to do would be to ask about Sam's relationship with Lauren. But before he decided if that was a road down which he wanted to travel, Sam spoke. "Lauren's pressuring me about setting a date."

"A wedding date?" Josh's eyebrows shot up. He'd play dumb until he could figure out a safe way out of the discussion.

He nodded. "I'm not sure how much longer I can put it off."

"Is that what you want to do? Put it off?"

"It's just..." Sam lowered his head. "How do you know she's the one?"

He gulped.

Sam lifted his head and looked Josh square in the eye. "How do you know that the woman you're about to marry is the one you're supposed to spend the rest of your life with?"

Josh shrugged. "You just do."

The line moved, and they stepped forward.

"Then I'm not so sure I'm making the right decision," Sam replied in a low voice.

"Every man I've ever known who's gotten married said he had cold feet before the wedding." Josh patted Sam on the back. "It's totally normal, buddy."

"What if it's not just cold feet?"

Josh raised his eyebrows. "Does this have anything to do with Ainsley Hayes?"

"Josh!"

"It's a reasonable question!"

"No," Sam said without conviction. "I've always found Ainsley...intriguing, but it's nothing more than that."

"I was just asking," Josh replied. "Things have been non-stop since you moved back to DC, Sam. Maybe you haven't set a date because your life is still too chaotic."

Sam tried to smile. "That must be it."

The man behind the counter interrupted them. "What can I get ya?"

"We'd like some steamed crabs."

"You got it. How many?"

The men exchanged glances, neither having a clue how many crabs would feed four people.

"You wouldn't be running some sort of special?" Josh asked.

"A dozen of mediums for $30."

"Sounds good. We'll take 'em."

CUT TO:

INT. MIRROR POINT INN, MAGNOLIA COTTAGE

Josh had never understood how Donna was able to peel crabs twice as fast as he could. She didn't grow up on the coast, and she ate them twice a year at best. However, Donna had a disciplined system of breaking the claws and legs, opening the top shell, peeling back the 'dead man,' and then cracking the body open to reveal the succulent meat. For the claws, she didn't even need a mallet. Instead, Donna used only a butter knife to break the shell. When she'd pull it off, a perfect stack of meat emerged.

"I forgot what a treat it is to eat fresh crabs," she commented as she handed a peeled claw to Josh.

He sucked the well-seasoned meat off the cartilage. "We should do it more often."

"So I can peel them and feed you like a child?" She scooped a chunk of white meat onto her knife and offered it to him.

"Exactly." Josh pulled the meat off the butter knife with his lips.

"Can you get fresh crabs in California?" Donna asked, cracking another one.

They'd been at the table for 30 minutes, and Sam and Lauren hadn't said much. When they did, it was one word answers or quick, polite questions. Both Josh and Donna were doing their best to involve them in the conversation.

"Dungeness," Lauren replied.

"And Alaskan King Crab," Sam added.

"Those are the long tentacle-like ones, right?" Josh took a sip of beer. He noticed Donna's bottle was empty, so he stood and walked to the refrigerator to get more. "Beer, anyone?"

"No, thanks," Sam and Lauren replied simultaneously.

"Didn't we share a crab dinner a long time ago?" Josh returned to the table. When he saw Donna looking at her hands, which were covered with crab drippings, he popped open the bottle top for her, then set it down on the newspaper-covered table.

"I think we did," Sam responded. "It was the summer of our first year working for President Bartlet."

"Baltimore," Donna added.

Josh looked at Lauren. "It was this fancy restaurant where you'd expect them to crack the crab for you."

"Kind of like I'm doing now?" Donna dug her knife into a crevice.

"Hey, I'm not *asking* you to peel them for me," Josh said.

"Then I won't."

Josh's face dropped. "But I wouldn't mind if, you know, you did."

Sam grinned as he watched Josh and Donna's exchange. They shared the same easy banter they'd had all those years ago. He wondered not for the first time if two people were simply meant to be together. Then he glanced at Lauren. He could tell she wasn't really paying attention to Josh's story. In fact, her mind looked like it was a million miles away. Sensing her discomfort, Sam vowed to excuse themselves the moment an opportunity arose.

"Anyway, as I was trying to peel one of these things, the claw slipped out of my hand and landed in the President's lap."

"You should've seen the look on President Bartlet's face," Donna chimed in.

"He didn't know whether to yell or laugh at me!" Josh chuckled.

Sam grinned. "I remember that."

"That's a funny story." Lauren smiled, then wiped her mouth. "I think I'm all crabbed out tonight."

"But we have five left," Josh said. "There's no way the three of us will be able to eat the rest."

"It'll have to be the two of you." Sam tore off his plastic bib and stood. "I'm going to get cleaned up and ready for bed. It's been an exhausting week." He put his hand on Lauren's shoulder as they walked into their bedroom. "Good night."

"Is it just me or..."

"...was that really weird?" Josh finished Donna's question for her.

"Well, it *has* been a long week," Donna tried.

"Yeah, but Sam's usually a mile a minute when we start talking about old times."

"Maybe that's it." Donna wiped her hands with a wet paper towel. "Maybe Lauren is uncomfortable when we talk about things she wasn't a part of. Think about it, Josh. The three of us have years of memories, and all Lauren can do is listen. It's bound to get old."

Josh started clearing the table. "You think that's it?"

Donna stood to help him. "Could be."

They both wanted to discuss their private conversations with Sam and Lauren, but neither wanted to betray confidences. Donna knew it would take a deft touch.

"So," she tried easing her way into it. "Has Sam talked to you about setting a wedding date?"

"Uh...No." Josh turned his attention to scrubbing utensils so he didn't have to look at Donna. If he did, she'd know he wasn't being completely honest. "I mean it's Sam, you know? He likes spring flowers, so he's probably going to...uh...wait until spring." 

"To set the date or to actually get married?" Donna dried the dishes and looked up at him.

"I'm not...we didn't really, you know, get into it." Josh gulped.

Donna finished drying the last dish, then put a hand on his arm. "We probably shouldn't talk about them when they're in the other room."

"I'd be ok if we never talked about them at all," Josh said, pulling Donna by the hand toward their bedroom. "I can barely discuss *our* relationship with finesse, much less another couple's."

She grinned. "That's very true."

"Hey, who booked this cottage at a five-star inn?" He shut the bedroom door.

"You did." Donna put her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Damn straight." Josh put his hand on the back of her head, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. "I seem to remember a promise you made about doing that thing you did in Hawaii."

She smiled against his lips. "With a twist, as I recall."

"Yes." He started removing her clothes.

"I'll need a moment to access my props." She unbuttoned Josh's shirt.

"Props?" he asked with a growl.

She kissed a line down his chest. "Technically, 'prop,' as in one thing."

"Donna?" Josh stumbled until the back of his knees were against the bed. "I may need to sit down for this."

"I'd actually prefer it," Donna began with a grin, "if you'd lie down."

Josh smiled. He liked where this was headed.

FADE TO BLACK

ACT 2

EXT. RESIDENCE, SUN PORCH – Saturday

Senator Gordon Rudolph didn't mind the heat. Being from Louisiana made him appreciate anything less than 90 degrees and 100% humidity. The weatherman was forecasting an 80-degree high, so the setting for Saturday morning's brunch at the Residence was perfectly fine for him.

"Welcome, Senator. Hello, Mrs. Rudolph," Helen Santos said as she shook her guests' hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, ma'am," Mrs. Rudolph replied.

"Call me Helen and please don't 'ma'am' me. I get that enough around the office." She grinned. 

"As long as you call me Marilyn."

The President greeted the Senator with a firm hand shake and his wife with a quick hug. "Thank you both for coming."

Helen introduced Bram and Annabeth as well. Bram was slightly hung over from the night before, but he played it off well. Annabeth was as perky as usual.

"Thanks for having us," the Senator responded. "Where are those boys?"

Just then, Peter and the Rudolph boys ran outside. Echoes of "Hi, Mom and Dad" flew out of their mouths as they picked up speed on the South Lawn. Peter and Ethan had become fast friends at school and were in the same summer sports camp. Ethan's younger brother, Derek, was a year behind, but the boys were inseparable.

"I hope they weren't too much trouble," Marilyn said.

"Nonsense," Helen replied, pouring several glasses of lemonade. "They played video games and ping pong until bedtime. They even invited Miranda to join them."

"Of course, my son wanted none of that," Santos said.

The guests laughed as they accepted the lemonade from the First Lady.

"The boys were fascinated by Beebo," Helen stated.

"Beebo?" Marilyn asked.

"The bearded dragon. My kids weren't satisfied with a normal pet."

"You own a dragon?"

Helen nodded. "He's not very photogenic, but he's cute in a reptilian sort of way."

It was no secret why the Rudolphs were there. The President wouldn't invite a Republican family to the Residence just for the hell of it. He had a mission. But the fact that their sons were friends made brunch less awkward.

"How are ya'll adjusting to a permanent life in DC?" Marilyn asked.

"Oh, it's fine," Helen replied. "What I'm still having a hard time with is not being able to go to the grocery store without a band of Secret Service agents. In fact, I've only been once because they have to shut the whole place down."

"An excuse not to go grocery shopping? I'll take it!"

The women chuckled.

It quickly became clear to Santos that any discussion they were going to have about the energy bill wasn't going to happen over brunch. The women were more interested in conversations about life in DC and camps for the kids than about solar power and biofuel technology.

As the President and the Senator reached for another piece of French toast, Santos leaned closer. "I thought we'd barbeque today, but my wife had other plans."

"They let you play with charcoal?" Rudolph asked with a smirk.

"On second thought, maybe it was the Secret Service who demanded brunch instead of barbeque," Santos cracked. "You're still up for some football afterwards?"

"Yes, sir. Looking forward to it." He smiled.

CUT TO:

INT. MIRROR POINT INN, MAGNOLIA COTTAGE

"Arthur, what do you make of the recent Zogby poll?" a reporter asked on CNN.

"Clearly the President has seen success in his first 100 days," Arthur began, "but the public doesn't seem to think he's a great communicator."

Josh looked up from his notes and focused on the television. "Donna!"

She appeared with two glasses of water. "Are they talking about the Zogby poll?"

"Yeah." He turned the volume louder.

Donna moved a stack of papers and sat next to him.

"How do you mean?" the reporter asked.

"Well, Leslie," the political analyst began. "Zogby asked the question, 'Do you think President Santos communicates well with the public?' The results were a bit surprising. Only 42% said yes, meaning the majority of the country doesn't think he's an effective communicator."

Josh sighed. "Damn."

Donna shrugged. "That doesn't change the overall approval rating. I think Zogby has us at 56%."

"That's not what I'm worried about." He leaned back.

Suddenly it dawned on her. "Sam."

"Yeah."

"This is the reason he's been so..."

Josh ran a hand through his hair. "When we worked for President Bartlet, our polling numbers for 'effective communicator' were always the highest."

She sighed. "Sam doesn't think that Lou's team has enough experience to get our message across."

He rubbed his neck. "I think we found the problem." 

CUT TO:

EXT. SOUTH LAWN

"No fair!" Peter yelled. "We want Bram on our team."

"It's me, you and Ethan. We'll beat 'em without Bram," the President told his son.

They tossed the football around a bit, getting loosened up. It had been years since Santos had played even a pick-up game. Sure, he'd toss the pigskin around with Peter on occasion, but that didn't require him to move much.

"Have you had a chance to read the energy bill?" he asked the Senator.

Rudolph stretched his arm across his chest. "Eight hundred and twenty pages."

"Then you're halfway through," Santos joked.

"I'll be honest, Mr. President, this is going to be a tough one to pass in the Senate."

"That's why I'm counting on you to lead your party." Santos threw a long pass to Peter. "Your influence will also be critical as the ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee."

"Then let's discuss the first issue: drilling."

Derek tugged on his father's shirt. "Are you ready?"

The Senator ruffled his son's hair. "I am if they are."

"You bet," the President responded.

They quickly reviewed the rules of the no-tackle game as Peter and Ethan created an end-zone dance routine. Bram showed them a couple of moves as he spiked the ball and looked more like a chicken than Terrell Owens.

The Santos team determined that Ethan Rudolph would be the quarterback and Peter and Matt would be the wide outs. This gave the President and Senator time to chat while they guarded each other.

"I know you'll never go for drilling in ANWR; but if you're serious about reducing our dependence on foreign oil, we need to look at other possibilities in this country," Rudolph said as he defended Santos against a pass.

Ethan threw the ball to Peter who caught it but was promptly tagged by Derek.

"Nice catch!" Bram said, impressed by Peter's skilled hands.

"That's why we're willing to increase oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Alaskan coast," Santos replied, wiping the sweat from his brow.

The Senator stood behind the line of scrimmage for the next play. "Increasing production in the Gulf by 20% isn't going to cut it."

"What do you recommend?"

"At least 30 if not 40%."

Ethan called the next play, sending everyone down field. Bram nearly intercepted the pass.

"So close!" Derek high-fived him.

"We'll increase US production of oil by that much, but it won't be exclusively in the Gulf," Santos said. "Besides, we're trying to get away from *any* dependence on oil. That's why half of the bill's funding will go to exploring energy alternatives."

"Half?" the Senator balked. "Due respect, sir, there's no way that's going to fly."

"I'm willing to work with you on that, Gordon, if you're willing to work with me on protecting the environment and looking at new ways to generate energy."

"We can certainly talk about it," Rudolph said. "I'll have my assistant call yours on Monday."

The President smiled and nodded. "Very good."

The men ran out for their third down, and Santos made a sharp cut to his right. As he and Gordon went up for the pass, the President pushed off of him, knocking the Senator to the ground.

A painful moan echoed in the air.

The Rudolph boys gasped as they watched their father fall.

"My arm!" Gordon yelled, rolling onto his back.

Bram signaled for the Secret Service agents. They ran to the scene.

"Let me see it," Santos looked at the Senator's mangled arm and gulped. "I'm so sorry, Gordon."

CUT TO:

EXT. CHESAPEAKE BAY

The wind was just right for sailing as Sam and Lauren glided down the Bay in a 19-foot O'Day Mariner.

"She's old, but she'll do," Sam commented as he raised the mast. 

"I forgot how much I missed sailing," Lauren said, sucking in a deep breath of sea air. "This is heavenly."

Sam smiled. "It is."

Lauren guided the rudder and waited for Sam to join her in the stern. "I'm sure one of the marinas in DC rents sailboats. We should look into it."

"The James Creek Marina does." Sam looked at his Blackberry. "But it's an older fleet of small boats."

If Lauren noticed her fiancé checking the electronic device, she didn't mention it. "I'll take anything with a sail right now."

"I hate to do this, honey, but I have to return this call." Sam's eyes were still focused on the Blackberry.

"I know your job's important, Sam, but can't you spend one or two days without thinking about work?" Lauren asked with a mild sigh.

Sam's head shot up. "The government doesn't shut down on weekends, Lauren."

"The polling numbers are good, there's nothing new in Kazakhstan, and the President is hosting a brunch today," Lauren replied. "Who in the world would you possibly have to call on a Saturday afternoon from a sailboat?"

Sam looked at the water surrounding them and watched a wind surfer wipe out. He noticed a couple in a larger sailboat laughing, and another couple jumping waves on jet skis. It was in that moment when he realized he shouldn't be thinking about work. He had a beautiful, loving woman next to him and an entire day without having to be anywhere. Why couldn't he just enjoy it?

"You're right," he admitted, putting an arm around Lauren's shoulders. "Work can wait."

She gave him an appreciative smile but wondered how long her fiancé could keep that promise.

CUT TO:

INT. MIRROR POINT INN, MAGNOLIA COTTAGE

It was usually Donna who warded off Josh's sexual advances. After all, he would be perfectly happy having sex three times a day, eight days a week. However, over the last few weeks, Donna found herself insatiable. Part of it, she thought, had to do with summertime. When Josh wasn't wearing a suit, he was in casual shorts and a t-shirt. He no longer used the treadmill as a place to hang his dry cleaning. In fact, Josh jogged at least three times a week, making his legs even more impressive than before. What Donna didn't understand was how the muscles in her boyfriend's arms had become so

defined. She'd exhausted all of the possibilities except one; it had to be the sex.

As he laid halfway on top of her, spent from a delectable round of love-making, or more accurately put – hot sex, Donna ran her hand up Josh's bicep and grinned.

She never thought they'd be a "missionary style" couple. This wasn't to say that they only did it in the more traditional position. In fact, they thoroughly enjoyed mixing it up.

Take, for example, their most recent session which ended not five minutes ago. Lauren and Sam were sailing, Josh and Donna had finished their talking points for the clambake, and they had an hour to kill before getting ready for the evening. Why wouldn't they take advantage of their private time and the king-sized bed? To be fair, they never actually made it to the bed, but the plush rug and fluffy pillows on the floor suited them just fine.

It was true that Josh ended up on top more often than not, but they'd usually start out with Donna in that position. This time was no different, except for the sideways action in the beginning. Which brought Donna back to the original point: her fascination with Josh's incredibly toned arms. With all of that supporting he had to do, she was certain it was equivalent to at least 50 push-ups.

"You know there's a huge bed up there," Josh said with his head on her chest.

"Yes," she responded, finally getting her breathing back under control. "I do."

He lifted his head to look at her. "Then why the hell are we on the floor?"

Donna shrugged. "It was the closest flat surface."

"But the bed is –"

She interrupted him with a kiss. A kiss that almost had him ready for round two. As Josh ran his hand up the curve of Donna's hip, a cell phone rang.

"Ugh," he grunted. "Yours or mine?"

"Yours." Donna reached for the annoying device on the chair next to the door, giving Josh a nice view of her long, alabaster torso.

"Josh Lyman." His voice came out somewhat strained.

"Josh? Are you ok?"

He quickly sat up. "Mr. President?"

Donna's eyes flew open. As if the leader of the free world could see them somehow, she grabbed a blanket from the bed to cover herself and handed Josh his boxers.

"There's been a little accident," Santos said.

"An accident?" Josh slipped on the underwear but had a hard time standing upright. His legs were still trembling from this thing they did where...

"I broke Senator Rudolph's arm," the President blurted out.

"I'm sorry, sir. We must have a bad connection." Josh steadied himself against the armoire. "It sounded like you said you broke Senator Rudolph's arm."

"The connection's fine, Josh. We were playing football. I cut hard right, pushing off the Senator, and he fell." Santos sighed. "I broke his arm."

Josh ran a hand through his hair. Donna had wrapped herself in the blanket and had gone into the living room to retrieve the trail of clothing they'd left behind.

"Have you spoken with Lou yet?" Josh asked.

"Just before calling you," Santos said. "Bram went with the Rudolphs to the hospital, and he called me with the news a few minutes ago."

Donna handed Josh his t-shirt, which he quickly put over his head. It was on backwards, but he didn't care. "This is going to be a thing."

"I realize that," the President responded. Josh pictured him with one hand on his hip. "That's why I'm calling."

"I'm sure Lou's already contacted the staff," Josh said. "I'll get in touch with her right away."

"Should I call to apologize?" Santos asked.

"No," Josh responded quickly. "Don't do anything until you talk to Lou again."

The President let out a long breath. "It was an accident, Josh."

"Yes, sir." He ran a hand through his hair. "We'll take care of it."

"Ok," he said. "Ok."

Donna had cleaned up all remnants of their escapade that began in the living room and ended on the bedroom floor. She stood in the doorway as Josh hung up the phone. "The President broke the Senator's arm?" 

Josh sighed. "Yeah."

She shrugged. "Hey, it's better than when President Bartlet rode his bike into a tree."

His face slowly broke into a smile. "That's for damn sure."

CUT TO:

INT. OTTO'S APARTMENT

Otto said a silent prayer, thanking God for bringing Lester into his life. The young deputy hadn't been able to get up off the couch, much less go out for the world's best hangover remedy – a greasy burger. He'd already vomited twice, both times barely making it to the bathroom. His hangover was bordering on the worst he'd ever had, and no amount of water or Gatorade helped.

"I thought you could use some food." Lester handed him a Burger King bag.

Otto threw his arms around the Press Secretary. "You're a life saver."

"Whoa, man. A 'thank you' would've been enough." Lester closed the door and followed Otto to the kitchen table. "Looks like you haven't done much of anything today."

"You're lucky I even got dressed." The younger man popped a French fry into his mouth. "You're not even slightly hung over?"

"Oh, I am. Just not as bad as you."

"What's your secret?" He took a bite of the burger.

"Stopping after number four," Lester replied with a smirk.

His phone chirped, indicating a text message. Otto's did the same a few seconds later. Lester looked at the screen. "It's Lou."

Otto's eyes grew wide.

Lester hit number three on his speed dial. "Lou, what's up?"

"I need you at work. There's been an accident," Lou replied without pretense.

"What kind of accident?" He looked at Otto, who stopped chewing for a moment.

Lou sighed. "The President broke Senator Gordon Rudolph's arm."

"He broke the Senator's arm?" Lester's eyebrows shot up. "The *Republican* senator?"

Otto almost choked.

"How'd that happen? I thought they were having brunch?" Lester asked.

"I'll fill you in on the details when you get here," Lou said. "Do me a favor; call Otto."

"I'm with him now. We'll be there in 20 minutes." He hung up.

Otto swallowed hard. "Tell me it wasn't President Santos who broke the Senator's arm."

"I could, but I'd be lying." Lester stood. "If you have to puke, do it now."

END ACT 2

ACT 3

INT./EXT. MCBAIN SUMMER HOME, ST. MICHAEL'S, MD

On a normal day, news traveled fast; but when it concerned a presidential snafu, it spread like wildfire. Josh and Donna had been at the clambake for 15 minutes, and already five guests had commented on Santos' accident.

Senator Ronald Chapman greeted Josh much the same as the others. "President Santos gave new meaning to 'twisting an arm' today."

Josh grimaced when he saw the man whom he and Sam considered 'the Republican in Democratic clothing.' "The President is sorry for the accident, Ronny."

"How does a Republican get invited to the Residence for brunch anyway?" Chapman asked. "I've never been invited, and I play on his team."

"If you support the energy bill, I can make it happen." Josh folded his arms and grinned.

"It would take a lot more than brunch at the President's house to convince me to vote 'yay' on that one." The Senator laughed incredulously.

A server brought a tray of margaritas around. Both men took a glass.

Josh took a sip of his drink. "Even if there was something in it for you?"

"Like what?"

He stepped out of the line of passers-by. "Your family owns a dairy farm outside of Chicago, right?"

Chapman nodded.

"And they have a methane digester?"

"Indeed, they do," he replied with pride. "The first farm in Illinois to install one."

"Senator, if you support this energy bill, your family could make up to $10,000 a year just for handling cow manure."

He'd had a conversation with Donna on the way to the clambake about how he was going to approach Senator Chapman. When he'd used the phrase "just for handling cow shit," Donna quickly jumped in. She'd given him a lecture about how cow *manure* fueled the methane digester, which provided energy for entire neighborhoods. She'd said that if Josh referred to it as "shit," the Senator would immediately be turned off. Figuring Donna had a point, as she so often did, he stuck with the more appropriate term.

"Let me get this straight." Chapman stepped closer. "The President's energy bill will award emission credits to my family if we continue to run the digester?"

Josh nodded. "Your family's reducing greenhouse-gas emissions AND providing electricity for the neighborhood. It's about time we reward people who make an effort to save the planet."

"It is."

Josh stood a little taller. "Can the President count on your vote, Ronny?"

"Slow down." He held up one hand. "I'm not making any promises. Let me take a closer look at the bill."

"If you have any questions, feel free to call me." Josh shook the man's hand.

One down, three to go.

He strutted away in search of Donna; but when he found her, he noticed that she was deep in conversation with a couple he didn't recognize. As he waited to talk with Senator Murakami from Oregon, he was tapped by Maury Hulsman from Glaxo.

Josh pretended to listen to what the CEO was saying. He'd heard it all from the head of the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention a week ago. He was much more fascinated with watching Donna work.

"Hamilton was named 'A Lasting America' community two years ago," Yvonne Quinn said after swallowing a big bite of prosciutto-wrapped melon.

"I know," Donna replied. "And I have even more good news for your hometown."

"Do tell," Mr. Quinn said, offering his wife a napkin.

"We'd need the support of city officials and donors, but the First Lady is hoping to pilot a children's volunteerism program in your community."

"That sounds delightful." Yvonne grabbed a lettuce wrap from the horsd'oevres table to her left.

When Yvonne leaned over, Donna caught Josh's eye. He gave her a seductive grin. She hoped whoever he was talking to didn't notice. She also hoped the Quinns didn't see her blush.

"If it's successful, we'll gradually make it a nationwide program." Donna sipped her sangria and glanced at Josh again. He was still watching her with an irresistible grin.

"We'll gladly lend support any way we can," Mr. Quinn announced. "Why don't you call my office when you've got the details laid out, and we'll talk more about it then?"

"Thank you so much," Donna replied, putting a hand on the older man's arm. She went to shake Yvonne's hand, but one hand held a drink while the other, a shrimp skewer. "Enjoy your evening."

As Donna walked across the patio to chastise Josh for making her blush, she was stopped by Sassy McBain.

"Donna! So glad you could make it!" Sassy kissed both of her cheeks. She was wearing a vibrantly colored dress and a yellow hat.

"Thank you for the invitation, Mrs. McBain." Donna smiled.

"Didn't I tell you to call me Sassy?" A splash of margarita flew out of her glass with the motion she made. "I wanted to congratulate you and Josh on the way you handled the media a few months ago. That must've been just awful."

Donna brushed the liquor off her hand without Sassy noticing. "It could've been worse, I suppose."

"But I must admit," Sassy said in a conspiratorial whisper. "The photographs of you two were just adorable!"

Donna glanced at Josh, who seemed more interested in her conversation than in the one he was in at the moment. She tipped her glass toward him and smiled.

Sassy turned her head in Josh's direction and put a hand on the younger woman's arm. "Speak of the devil."

Donna grinned. "The devil indeed."

CUT TO:

INT. ROOSEVELT ROOM

As Bram shared the story of how the President broke Senator Rudolph's arm, Otto and Lester became more interested.

"We heard it crack," Bram said. "And then he was on his back, grabbing his mangled arm."

"Ouch."

"Damn."

"Ok, boys," Lou walked in and threw a legal pad on the table. "Story time's over. Let's get to work."

Annabeth followed her into the room.

Bram and Lester gave Lou a questioning look.

"I called Annabeth in to help us with the spin. Since Sam and Josh are out of town, I figured we could use all the help we could get."

"The media's obviously already gotten a hold of this thing, and it's not playing in our favor," Annabeth stated.

Lou nodded. "I don't think any of us enjoyed seeing the damning headlines on the news, so let's talk about how we can make this better."

No one spoke for a minute.

Bram was the first to open his mouth. "The President actually caught the ball and made a touchdown."

Otto chuckled. When Lou gave him a stern look, his face sobered.

"We should play up his physical fitness," Lester suggested. "It sucks that he broke the man's arm, but let's face it: It makes our guy look strong."

Bram nodded. "The President wasn't the one who was injured."

"Good point," Lou said. She looked around the room. "Is anyone writing this down?"

Otto clicked his pen and began scribbling notes.

"Not only that," Annabeth said. "But a *Republican* Senator was at the Residence for brunch. That makes Santos look bi-partisan."

"Good call." Lester pointed the tip of his pencil at Annabeth.

"Ok, so we've got a healthy, athletic President who was having a little fun with, let's not forget, *his kid,* while he was making nice with a guy from the other team," Lou replied.

Annabeth smiled. "Bingo."

CUT TO:

INT. MIRROR POINT INN, MAGNOLIA COTTAGE

Sam and Lauren had enjoyed the rest of the day in each other's company. He hadn't even checked his Blackberry again until they stepped inside the cottage. He had three messages from Lou and one from Bram. Josh and Donna had already left for the clambake, but he'd written Sam a note:

Turn on CNN and call Bram now.

\- Josh

As he talked to the gang back at the White House, Sam paced in the living room. So much, Lauren thought, for leaving work behind. 

"The athletic angle is good," Sam said into the phone. "Lester, when you brief, you also need to point out that it was a freak accident. Tell the press that the Senator doesn't blame President Santos."

"I'm already on it," Lester replied on speaker phone.

"Should we put the President in front of cameras?" Annabeth asked.

"Not in the press room," Sam replied. "We need to come up with an impromptu press conference. Something short and simple."

"Just long enough for the President to apologize in his own words," Lou said. 

"That we write for him," Sam added.

Lauren watched her fiancé work – sitting and jotting down notes one moment, then standing and pacing the next. She remembered a conversation she'd had with Donna a few weeks ago about when they found their boyfriends most attractive. Donna admitted that when Josh was in political mode, she couldn't resist him. Lauren wondered how she could find that appealing. Nothing about watching Sam work was alluring.

She poured a glass of Chardonnay and went outside to the deck, leaving Sam alone inside.

Sam watched the screen door shut as he half-heartedly listened to Bram's idea. He felt awful about working so much this weekend. It was supposed to be a romantic, relaxing getaway. After their brief discussion on the sailboat earlier, Sam and Lauren actually had a pleasant afternoon. He was looking forward to taking his fiancée to an elegant dinner in Wye Mills.

"...at the spot where the incident occurred," Bram finished.

Sam missed the first part of Bram's statement. He turned away from the big window facing the Bay and re-entered work mode. "Here's what needs to happen..."

CUT TO:

INT./EXT. MCBAIN SUMMER HOME, ST. MICHAEL'S, MD

Donna's conversation with Congresswoman Brandt wasn't as positive as the one with the Quinn's, but she was certain that the appropriations committee would take a close look at increasing funding for A Lasting America.

As she made her way toward the buffet, she saw the Secretary of Education checking out the steamed clams.

"Quite a display," Donna said.

"Isn't it though? I've never seen this much seafood even at Pesce," the Secretary replied. "I don't think we've officially met. I'm Eloise Hines."

"A pleasure to meet you...officially." She shook her hand. "I'm Donna Moss."

"Yes, the First Lady's Chief of Staff." Hines smiled. "Your name came up just the other day."

Donna raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

She nodded. "I was talking to my Chief of Staff about the memo we got from the First Lady's office concerning A Lasting America." 

"So you've read it?" Donna asked.

"I have." She took a sip of sangria. "You have mighty high hopes."

"Yes, ma'am, we do." Donna smiled nervously. "We're eager to get the Department of Education involved in our children's volunteerism program – teaching kids to take pride in their communities."

"And you want to increase the grant money?" She crossed her arms.

"Yes." Donna set her glass down on a nearby table. "We want to work with the Office of Communications and Outreach to develop teacher manuals. One of the things included would be a photo project."

"A photo project?"

Donna nodded. "The children would take pictures of their communities while they volunteered, and those photographs would go into the historic preservation records of the town. We're piloting the program in Hamilton, New York, next spring."

"Hmm." Hines put a finger to her lips. "That sounds somewhat promising. Call my assistant at some point next week, and we'll set up a meeting."

"I'll do that." Donna smiled and shook her hand. "Thank you so much."

The Secretary walked away, but Donna stood there a second longer. She felt good about the conversations she'd had over the course of the evening. It was times like these when she loved her job. As she made her way through the backyard, she spotted Josh near the fountain.

He looked damn good in linen, she thought. A man bumped into her, and it wasn't until that moment when she realized she'd stopped in the middle of the patio.

"Excuse me," the man said.

Josh caught Donna's eye, and she grinned. She held her hand low and signaled for him to join her with her index finger. He watched her beckon him and swallowed hard. There was no place Josh would rather be than by his girlfriend's side, but he had to finish the conversation he was in with the Oregon Senator.

CUT TO:

INT. WHITE HOUSE RESIDENCE

"We'll send him a big bouquet of flowers," Helen said from her spot on the sofa.

Her husband looked back at her. He'd been staring out the window for several minutes. "Yeah, that's what every man wants when he's suffering with a broken arm."

"Gordon told the press that it wasn't your fault." She stood and walked toward him.

"That doesn't change the fact that I broke the man's arm, Helen," he said in a louder voice than intended. "I need to make a public apology."

She rubbed his back. "Your staff will figure something out."

A knock on the door startled them.

"Mr. President? There's a call for you." An aide handed Santos the phone.

"Yes?"

Helen watched her husband's face sour.

"I'll be right there." He hung up.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Just what I need today." The President sighed. "Something's happened in Kazakhstan."

CUT TO:

INT. PRESS SECRETARY'S OFFICE

Bram bounced into Lester's office with a smile on his face. "Did you see the pictures the news channels are running?"

"No, I'm only the Communications Director," Lou wisecracked from her position on the sofa.

Ignoring her comment, Bram proceeded. "I loved the one of him jogging without a shirt. I didn't realize the President was so buff."

Lester looked up at the younger man and snickered.

"Which is exactly why we released that particular photograph." Lou stood. "Now the focus is on the President's physical fitness."

"Nice move," Bram said.

"It was his idea." Lou smiled and jutted her head toward Lester, then walked toward the door. "I'll be in my office," she called over her shoulder.

Once Lou was out of sight, Lester looked up from the notes she'd given him. "Can I help you with something, Bram?"

His expression quickly sobered. "What are we going to do about last night?"

"I already left a message for Ronna," He stood and closed the door. "asking her to come to my office first thing Monday morning."

"What are you going to tell her?"

Lester stood in front of his desk, facing Bram. "I'll recap the conversation we had with Trey and tell her some people are sniffing around."

He put his hands on his hips. "If they come after her –"

"What?" Lester cut him off. "You're gonna beat up your old college buddy?"

Bram looked away.

"If they come after her, we'll handle it," he said firmly. "The last thing I need is for you to go off half-cocked –"

"This is personal, Lester." It was Bram's turn to interrupt.

"It's personal for all of us." Lester held Bram's gaze.

"Ronna's like...like..." Bram wanted to say that Ronna was like a sister to him, but he didn't need to finish the sentence.

"I know." Lester nodded and put a hand on the younger man's arm. "We'll take care of it. I promise."

CUT TO:

EXT. MIRROR POINT INN, MAGNOLIA COTTAGE

Lauren sat at the end of the dock, dangling her feet in the water.

"I left my Blackberry inside." Sam shoved his hands in his pockets and casually walked out to join her.

She turned around at the sound of his voice but didn't respond.

"The polling stuff that I was dealing with earlier..." He trailed off as he took a seat at the edge of the dock. "I shouldn't have worried about that while we're here."

Lauren still didn't look at him. Instead, she watched a pair of nightingales fly overhead.

"The President broke a Republican Senator's arm, Lauren. The situation needed my attention, especially with Josh gone." He rolled up his pants and put his feet in the Bay. "There was no way around it."

"Don't you have an entire Communications staff to deal with stuff like this?"

"I do, but they're inexperienced."

"So they needed your guidance to put out the fire?" Lauren asked in an exasperated voice.

"Yes, they did. And I'll tell you why." He faced her. "Everyone's focused on the 57% overall approval rating for our first 100 days. And that's fine to some extent, but what they're not seeing is that the President polled at 42% as an effective communicator. Forty-two percent! It wasn't even that low when President Bartlet finally disclosed his MS."

"What does one thing have to do with the other?"

"The reason President Santos isn't communicating well with the public is because of the staff! You've got Otto who's 28, and about a dozen others who are in their low 30s; Lou Thornton whose experience is mainly on campaigns; and Lester Charles who has two years of public speaking under his belt." Sam ticked off each item with his fingers. "They're fine at the everyday stuff; but when it comes to handling a crisis like the volcano or the President breaking the Senator's arm, they're green."

"Sam?" she asked in a low voice. "Do you miss your old job – being Deputy Director of Communications? Is that what this is about?"

"When it was Toby, CJ and I, we were unstoppable," he said with a fond smile. "President Bartlet's numbers for the question 'Do you think the President communicates well with the public?' were always the highest. I remember a time when 58% of the people polled said yes." He lowered his head and took a deep breath. "Yes, there are times when I miss my old job. But more than anything...I miss having that go-to guy. The one who seemingly has all the answers."

"You mean Toby?"

Sam looked up at his fiancée with sad eyes and nodded.

Lauren sighed. She'd finally gotten to the root of the problem. "When was the last time you spoke with him?"

He shrugged. "I honestly couldn't tell you."

"You should call him, Sam. I wouldn't let the pardon stand in your way. Besides, that's blown over for the most part. No one would understand the situation you're in now better than him."

"You're right." Sam grabbed her hand. "I should call him."

CUT TO:

INT./EXT. MCBAIN SUMMER HOME, ST. MICHAEL'S, MD

"How is this bill any different from the one Bartlet tried to pass in 2003?" the Oregon Senator asked.

"For starters, we eliminated the liability waiver for MTBE producers," Josh began. "In fact, you won't find anything in the bill supporting MTBE. Two Representatives tried to introduce a waiver in the House, and it didn't pass. That's the end of that."

Senator Murakami put his hands on his hips. "What about solar and wind power?"

"What about it?" Josh asked.

"They supply a paltry .19% of America's total energy."

"So let's spend some money on research and development and increase the dependence!" Josh was getting so fired up that he was practically bouncing. His voice was also an octave higher than normal. "How are we expected to depend less on oil and more on alternative energy sources if we're not willing to explore and fund other options?"

"You know the Republicans are going to want billions of dollars worth of subsidies and tax breaks for oil and gas companies," Murakami said, trying to poke holes in several parts of the bill. "And they're the majority."

"If that's the deal breaker, we'll give them subsidies and tax breaks, but not in the same amount as companies who produce ethanol, solar and wind power." Josh shrugged. "Why would we want to reward companies who keep Americans dependent on oil?"

"Because there's drilling in or off the coast of 18 states, Josh," he said matter-of-factly. "The senators in those states are looking for pork."

"I can tell you this, Ric." Josh stepped a little closer. "They're not going to get much pork from this bill. It's solid and ready to go."

"We'll see about that." The young Senator raised his glass, then walked away.

Josh took a long sip of his drink and sighed.

"How's it going?"

He whipped around to see Donna standing right behind him. She'd watched the entire exchange, fascinated as usual by Josh in political mode. It was times like these when she had to stop herself from dragging him behind a bush and ravaging his body.

He smiled. "I haven't seen much of you tonight."

"I saw you stealing a few glances," she said, looping her arm through his.

"If you saw me looking at you, then you must've been staring at me." Josh smirked. 

Donna squeezed his arm. "Let's get out of here."

When they made it in the car, Donna couldn't keep her hands to herself. Fortunately, they were parked quite a distance away from the house, plus it was pitch black outside.

"Where's this coming from?" Josh asked as she pressed him against the drivers' side door and kissed him soundly.

"Watching you work." She kissed a trail down his neck.

"That does it for you, huh?"

She felt a dimple forming as she kissed his cheek. "You have no idea."

FADE TO BLACK

ACT 4

INT. MIRROR POINT INN, MAGNOLIA COTTAGE

"Have you seen this?" Sam held up the front page of USA Today as Josh emerged from the bedroom.

"Santos Strong-arms Republican at Brunch," Josh tilted his head and read aloud. "So Lester's briefing didn't do the trick?"

"The article does point out that the President is strong and athletic, but you have to turn to page 14 for that."

"It'll blow over, Sam. Besides, your plan for the impromptu press conference is genius." Josh poured two cups of coffee. "Where's Lauren?"

Sam lowered the paper. "I think she went for a morning jog."

"Did you guys have a good time on the water yesterday?" Josh added a packet of Equal to one cup.

"We did," Sam replied. "How was the clambake?"

"Murakami's going to be a problem, but I think I got Chapman." He picked up the two coffee mugs.

"That's something," Sam replied in a surprised tone. "Did Donna enjoy herself?"

"You should see her work the room," Josh said with a gleam in his eye. "She's like me only...sweeter."

"Much sweeter." Sam grinned. "Hey, where are you going?"

He stopped before entering the bedroom. "Did you think this coffee was for you?"

"Of course not." Sam's disappointed look betrayed his answer.

Josh disappeared into the bedroom, and Sam read the article a second time.

CUT TO:

EXT. WHITE HOUSE RESIDENCE

Just as Sam had planned, a gaggle of press surrounded the First Family as they walked toward the Residence after Mass.

"Mr. President," a reporter yelled. "Do you have a comment about yesterday's incident with Senator Rudolph?"

"As my Press Secretary stated yesterday afternoon, I'm sorry for the accident, and it was exactly that, *an accident.*" He squeezed Helen's hand.

"Does the Senator harbor any ill will toward you?" a reporter asked from the back.

"I think the only thing Senator Rudolph is upset about is that I actually caught the pass." The President chuckled.

"Will this incident cause an even bigger partisan rift?"

"No, it won't. In fact, I look forward to working with Senator Rudolph and the other members of the Senate on passing the energy bill later this week."

"Have you spoken with him today?"

"I'm actually going to pay him a visit this afternoon," Santos replied. He began walking toward the Residence again. "Thank you all."

When they got out of earshot, Helen leaned toward her husband. "You were great."

Santos smiled.

As soon as he stepped inside, an aide was waiting for him. "Mr. President, you're needed in the Situation Room."

He kissed his wife on the forehead and released her hand. "I'll meet you upstairs."

CUT TO:

INT. CAR – ROUTE 33, MARYLAND

Donna turned off the car radio after hearing the President's remarks on the broken arm incident. "He did good."

"I'm glad Sam thought of it."

"He's certainly done more than his share of work this weekend," Donna said. "I've never seen Sam like this."

"Like what?"

"So...wound up." She looked at her lap and took a deep breath. "The other day when I asked you if he'd set a wedding date...Lauren asked me to snoop around."

Josh sighed. "This is starting to feel like an episode of The Facts of Life."

Undeterred by his comment, Donna proceeded. "It felt awkward then, because I didn't really know what to make of Lauren's request. And it feels even more awkward now that I've seen the two of them together."

"Then why'd you do it?" He kept his focus on the highway.

"I felt sorry for her." Donna shrugged. "She doesn't have anyone to talk to about this stuff, and Sam's been consumed with work lately. I figured if I had a chance to help her, I would."

"Is that why you invited them to the Inn this weekend? Because you felt sorry for her?" Josh asked.

"Yeah."

"Lauren seems like a pretty self-sufficient, intelligent woman to me," he said. "And according to Sam, she was actually more excited about moving to DC than he was."

"Things changed."

"Of course things changed." He glanced at her. "They moved to a city where Sam has a past, and Lauren hadn't even visited. They also started new jobs. It's gonna take them a while to adjust."

"You have to admit it's been a more difficult transition for Lauren than for Sam."

"I wouldn't know." Josh shrugged. "I don't spend much time with Lauren, so I have no idea how hard it is for her. Sam and I are guys. We don't talk about relationship stuff. It's a little too Oprah for us." 

Donna lowered her head and smiled.

"Inviting them to spend the weekend with us is one thing, but spying for my friend's fiancée is going a little too far."

"He's my friend, too, Josh," she stated. "Which made this even more difficult."

"You always have the best intentions, Donna, but sometimes you just have to stop and let things shake out on their own." Josh grabbed her hand. "Like the time you tried setting up the two old people that live in our building."

She rolled her eyes. "Not this again."

"You had their entire Sunday morning planned – from donuts to coffee to Cole Porter in the background," he said. "Look how that turned out."

"How was I supposed to know that they were brother and sister?"

Josh couldn't help grinning even though he was trying to make a point. It was stories like this that made him even more enchanted with her.

"I've learned my lesson. I'm not getting in the middle of anyone's relationship anymore." She squeezed his hand. "Besides, what expertise do I have? It's not like *we're* engaged."

Josh whipped his head around and gulped.

"What I meant was..." Her cheeks turned pink. "I just meant that I'm not, you know, equipped to handle the issues of couples who are going to get married. Or not going to get married as the case may be."

Josh's dimples grew deeper as he listened to Donna try to find a way out of this.

"Because I've never been engaged," she continued. "I wouldn't even begin to know what it feels like to be in that position. Except, of course, for my time with Tim. I realize we weren't engaged, but I quit school to support him, which is another in a long list of reasons why I really have no business getting in the middle of anyone else's relationship. We all know how that turned out." She paused for a breath. "And thank God it *did* turn out that way because I never would've gone to New Hampshire, and I never would've met you. So I should mind my own business and let love find its way."

"Are you finished?" He smirked.

"I think so." With that soliloquy, she hoped to have gotten Josh's mind off the topic of marriage.

"If you *were* engaged, do you think that would make you an expert in the ways of love?"

Donna cocked one eyebrow. "You certainly intimated that I was an expert in the ways of love earlier today when I was doing that thing where..."

"Yes! Yes, in *that* you are an expert," he interrupted before Donna verbalized exactly what she did to him. He'd rather not have to drive with a painful erection. "But in trying to find solutions to other people's relationship problems, not so much."

"True," she sighed.

They were silent for a moment as Josh gathered his thoughts. "Would you ever want to, you know, be engaged?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Engaged to be married?"

"No, engaged for a day of bocce ball."

"I never really thought about it." She shrugged. "If the right guy came along, I might entertain the possibility."

"*If*?"

"You wouldn't expect me to settle for some local gomer now, would you?" She teased.

"The right guy *has* come along, Donna!" he yelled. "*I'm* the right guy."

The air between them suddenly changed. Donna sat ramrod straight and stared at the dashboard. Josh clenched his jaw and gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. Neither knew if making a joke was in order or if they should take a stab at being serious.

Donna was the first to react. She decided she'd be serious first, and end it with some levity.

"Yes, you are." She put a hand on his arm and smiled.

"That was for the bocce ball thing?"

"Yeah."

He looked at her, a dimple slowly forming on his cheek. "You had me going for a second."

She smiled, then kissed the dimple. "I know."

Josh tapped his thumb against the steering wheel. "So you wouldn't be completely opposed to the idea of possibly one day being engaged to me?"

Donna rubbed her hand down the back of his head, smoothing down a few unruly curls. "I would not be opposed to such an idea."

He turned to her and grinned. "Good to know."

CUT TO:

INT. SITUATION ROOM

The President walked into the Sit Room with a sinking feeling. There hadn't been much change in Kazakhstan for nearly a month. However, things had started to heat up yesterday.

He took his seat at the head of the table. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Mr. President." While everyone else sat down, the Secretary of Defense remained standing. "We just received word from Major General Frank Hopkins, who's been stationed at Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan, that the Russians have begun retreating."

The President raised his eyebrows. "They've begun retreating?"

"Yes, sir." The Secretary rarely cracked a smile, but there were traces of one tugging at the corners of his mouth. He quickly returned to military mode. "According to Major General Hopkins, our ground troops reported that the Russian Army moved ten miles from Astana into Kuprinka."

A map came up on the screen at the far end of the room. The Secretary pointed to it as he spoke. "They held ground here for five hours until word came that the Chinese Army pulled back as well."

"Does this appear to be a truce?" Santos asked.

"We're uncertain at this time, sir," General Pollack chimed in. "We have aircraft from the 396th Air Expeditionary Wing conducting fly-overs as we speak."

"What about our guys on the ground?"

"We're still stationed in the buffer zone, but the Second and Third Infantry Divisions have moved closer to Kuprinka to keep an eye on the Russians and Peredovik to watch the Chinese."

The President leaned back. "How did this come about?"

"Just as you hoped, sir, our troops were able to roll back the Russian and Chinese forces with a little diplomatic posturing," the Secretary of Defense replied.

"I'm happy to hear it." Santos said.

"Sir, let me state for the record that while this is certainly good news, by no means does it signal an end to the conflict," General Pollack stated. "Our troops need to remain in position until we are 100% confident that the two armies have retreated to their own soil."

"I'm far too aware of that, General." The President nodded. "Let's get President Lian on the phone, then we'll call Chigorin. I'm ready to put an end to this mess and bring our guys home as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

CUT TO:

INT. CAR, ROUTE 50

Josh's cell phone rang just as they crossed over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

"I'm calling with some good news for a change," the President said.

"The Senator's arm isn't really broken?" Josh joked.

"No. No, his arm is definitely broken," Santos replied. "This news has nothing to do with the football incident."

"Oh?" Josh asked. "Then what's the good news?"

"The Russians and Chinese have begun retreating."

He pictured the President grinning.

"That's great news, sir." Josh glanced at Donna, who looked eager to hear what they were talking about. "Who flinched first?"

"The Russians."

"You called it," Josh said. "Have you talked to Chigorin yet?"

"I have. I also spoke with President Lian. Looks like they're both willing to back away, but it's one baby step at a time," Santos responded.

"We'll take what we can get." Josh smiled. "This will be all over the news tomorrow, sir. The football incident will be a distant memory."

The President sighed. "I hope you're right."

"Do you need me to come in?" Josh asked with raised brows. He really didn't want to spend his Sunday afternoon at work.

"No. We'll catch up first thing tomorrow morning."

"Sounds good." Josh let out a breath. "Have a good evening, sir."

He hung up and told Donna the news.

"Nice way to end the weekend," she replied with a smile.

CUT TO:

INT. CAR, WASHINGTON, D.C. and INT. CAR, ROUTE 50

Sam read a text message from Joey, while Lauren returned a phone call to her father. Once he had the numbers in his hands, he thought, he could concentrate more on his fiancée. Things were better between them, but Sam knew he had to really step it up in the relationship department.

As Lauren hung up her phone, Sam's rang. He noticed Josh's number.

"Miss us already?"

"I just got off the phone with the President," Josh said, ignoring Sam's joke. "Good news: the Chinese and Russians have begun retreating in Kazakhstan."

"That's great news," Sam lowered the mouthpiece and told Lauren. "Are you going in?"

"No."

"Really?" Sam asked. "This may change your mind. I just got a text message from Joey. She's meeting me in 20 minutes with the polling report on the lowest numbers."

"I don't have a problem with the numbers, Sam," Josh said. "In fact, I'm actually *happy* with them."

"You're really not going in?" A sense of wonder crept into Sam's voice.

Josh looked at Donna, who was busy scrolling through photos on her digital camera. She laughed out loud at one of them.

"No," Josh said, still looking at his girlfriend. "I'm really not."

Donna looked up at him and smiled. If he had any doubt about not going to the office on a Sunday evening, they were dismissed in that moment. His days of working "for work's sake" were over.

"Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Sam responded.

"Yeah."

They hung up, and Josh pressed a little harder on the gas pedal.

INT. DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF'S OFFICE

Before he even sat down behind his desk, Sam wrote a To Do list:

1\. Order flowers for Lauren.

2\. Book couples massage at Piaf.

3\. Call Toby.

Sam put the pen down and stared at the list. He turned on a lamp, then sat in his desk chair. He glanced at the list again and let out a long sigh. Finally, Sam picked up a red pen and drew a line

through the third task. 

Tapping his fingers against the polished wood, he made a decision. He pulled his cell phone off of his belt loop and dialed a familiar number.

It rang four times before anyone answered.

"Hello?"

"Toby?" He let out a long breath, then a small smile crossed his face. "It's Sam."

FADE TO BLACK

 


End file.
